Made in Hamilton, Ohio
What Is Tallow Soap?
Tallow is rendered beef fat, and soapmakers have used it for centuries. Mixed with plant oils and lye, it makes a hard, long-lasting bar with a creamy lather. That is what we pour at 229 Main Street in Hamilton, Ohio.
How we make it
We use the cold-process method. We mix the oils and lye, pour the batch into molds, cut the bars by hand and let them cure on the rack for two to four weeks. Our tallow comes from Ohio farms, and we do not render it in our shop. Our bars are made without SLS, SLES, phthalates or synthetic detergents.
What is in a bar
Every product page lists the full ingredients. Our tallow bars are made with saponified oils such as beef tallow, sunflower, palm, palm kernel and olive, plus the scent, color and any extras for that recipe. The palm oil we buy is sustainable (RSPO) palm.
Questions people ask
What is tallow soap?
Tallow soap is true soap made from rendered beef fat (tallow), plant oils and lye. The lye reacts with the fats during saponification and turns them into soap and glycerin.
Does tallow soap smell like meat?
No. Our bars are scented, and each product page lists exactly what is in the bar. Tallow is a plain, hard fat, and the finished soap smells like its scent.
Is there lye in your soap?
Every true soap is made with lye. During curing the lye is used up in turning the fats into soap, so none is left in a finished, properly cured bar.
How long do you cure your bars?
At least two weeks, and many recipes cure for four. Curing lets the bar harden so it lasts longer in the shower.
Is tallow soap vegan?
No. Tallow comes from cattle, so our tallow bars are not vegan. Our tallow comes from Ohio farms.
How do I make a bar last longer?
Let it dry between uses. A draining soap tray or a soap saver bag keeps the bar out of standing water.